The invention relates to a former arrangement.
A former arrangement of the type cited at the outset is known from German Patent Document No. DE 196 02 248 A1 for example. Another former arrangement is known from German Patent Document No. DE 198 21 603 A1 for example.
The former arrangements described in the above-mentioned documents for longitudinally folding printing substrate webs are each provided with a former, which is horizontally adjustable in a web feed direction or relative to a pair of ribbon lead-in rollers arranged underneath. However, these adjustable formers are arranged between two walls, as permanently arranged formers from the prior art normally are, so that operating the formers, for example when webbing up, must take place from their front side (on which the printing substrate web runs) or from their rear side.
As a result, an operator of conventional former arrangements is restricted in terms of his/her working movements, whereby make-ready procedures such as webbing up take a lot of time. Another disadvantage of these conventional former arrangements is that if, for example, several formers are arranged in a line successively, sufficient space must be provided between the formers so that an operator is still able to operate the formers and the associated adjusting elements.
The invention is based on the objective of creating a former arrangement that is easy to operate and that makes it possible to arrange several formers at a short distance (in the web feed direction) from each another.
According to the invention, a former arrangement for a rotary printing press is comprised of: a former arrangement module with a base element, which is mountable on a stationary element of the rotary printing press; a former, which is connected to the base element; first web lead means for guidance, on the former entry side, of a printing substrate web to be directed in the case of operation over the former; and second web lead means for guidance, on the former exit side, of the printing substrate web, wherein the former rests on a cantilevered support element, which is fastened with a first end to the base element and which extends in an otherwise unsupported manner cantilevered, transverse to a web feed direction over the former.
Due to the fact that the former rests on a cantilevered support element and not between two side frames as in the prior art, it is possible, in the case of the inventive former arrangement, for the former to be operated easily from the free or unsupported side. As a result, webbing-up beyond the former and into a subsequent folding unit is facilitated, for example.
Furthermore, the inventive attainment makes it possible to arrange two or more former arrangement modules at short distances in the web feed direction or horizontal direction since the formers may be operated easily from the free lateral side. In other words, the inventive former arrangement requires, particularly in the horizontal direction, less assembly and operating space than conventional former arrangements.
It must be mentioned in the context of the invention that the stationary element may be, for example, a separate side frame or, for example, a folding unit arrangement arranged beneath the former arrangement. The stationary element may be manufactured, for example, from steel, steel casting or aluminum or alloys thereof. Naturally, other embodiments and materials are possible for the stationary element as long as they guarantee stable support of the former arrangement.
Furthermore, it must be noted that the base element may be embodied, for example, in the form a solid side wall or, for example, in the form of a frame construction. The base element may be manufactured, for example, from steel, steel casting or aluminum or alloys thereof. Naturally, other embodiments and materials are possible for the base element as long as they guarantee stable support of the support element and of the former.
According to the invention, the support element may be embodied as an axle element for rotatable mounting of additional elements, as a profiled support or any other longish element. The base element may be manufactured, for example, from steel, aluminum or alloys thereof or any other material suitable for cantilevered support of the former.
According to a development of the invention, the former may have a first end and a second end, wherein the former may rest swivelably with its first end on the support element and may be connected on its second end to the base element, if necessary so that it is movable angularly.
With this embodiment of the invention, the former may, if its lower end is connected adjustably to the base element, be adjusted in a simple manner, for example, relative to the second web lead means in order to optimize the web feed or the longitudinal fold development.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a guide device may be provided on the base element, via which the base element is mountable position-changeably on the stationary element.
It is possible with this embodiment of the invention for the former arrangement or the associated former and the associated functional groups to be adapted, for example, to changed production conditions, which advantageously supports easy operation of the inventive former arrangement.
The guide device may, for example, be designed as a column guide, as a dovetail guide or as a profiled rail guide each with, for example, slide bearings or rolling bearings. Naturally, other suitable embodiments of the guide device are also possible.
According to another development of the invention, the guide device may have a first guide unit, which is arranged on a first end section of the base element, and a second guide unit, which is arranged on a second end section of the base element.
This embodiment of the invention advantageously supports a stable support and guidance of the base.
The guide units, for example, can be designed as a column guide, as a dovetail guide or as a profiled rail guide each with, for example, slide bearings or rolling bearings. Other suitable embodiments of the guide device are naturally also possible. Furthermore, according to the invention, both guide units may be embodied to be the same or different, for example.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the base element may be horizontally movable by means of the guide device.
It is relatively simple with this embodiment of the invention to displace the former arrangement or the associated former and the associated functional groups in the web feed direction or horizontally, which is advantageous, for example, when changing the position of width-variable printing substrate web ribbons and a tape guide after the former.
According to another development of the invention, the first web lead means may have a former lead-in roller, which is pivoted on the support element.
With this embodiment of the invention, because the first end of the former may rest swivelably on the support element that is embodied in this case as an axle element and at the same time a former lead-in roller may be pivoted on the support element, it may be guaranteed in an advantageous manner that, when swiveling the former, the predetermined optimal arrangement relationship of the former and former lead-in roller remains unchanged so that a printing substrate web to be guided over the former is always optimally guided to the former.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the first web lead means may have a nipping/collecting roller, which is pivoted on a supporting element provided on the first end section of the base element.
This embodiment of the invention is particularly advantageous if several layers of printing substrate webs are to be guided to the former in order to, if necessary, compensate for different web speeds of the layers.
According to another development of the invention, driving means may be provided for rotationally driving the former lead-in roller and the nipping/collecting roller.
Among other things, this embodiment of the invention supports in an advantageous manner, the above-mentioned compensation of, if necessary, different web speeds of the layers if several layers of printing substrate webs are to be guided to the former.
The driving means may comprise a motor, for example, such as an electric motor, an air motor or a hydraulic motor, wherein the motor is connected via suitable transmission means, such as a V-belt, a timing belt, a flat belt, a drive chain, etc., and corresponding pulleys or rings gears, to the former lead-in roller and the nipping/collecting roller. Naturally, other embodiments of the driving means are also possible as long they are able to realize a rotational driving of the former lead-in roller and the nipping/collecting roller.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the driving means may have a motor, which is mounted on the base element.
Among other things, this embodiment supports a compact design of the former arrangement and a simple adjusting or moving of the same in an advantageous manner.
According to another development of the invention, a cantilevered support arm may be provided on the second end section of the base element, on which support arm the second web lead means rest.
This embodiment of the invention also advantageously supports a compact design of the former arrangement and a simple adjusting or moving of the same as a unit. Because of the cantilevered mounting of the second web lead means, which, for example, may comprise a pair of ribbon lead-in rollers, easy operation of the same is possible from the free lateral side, thereby supporting a horizontal arrangement of several former arrangement modules at short distances.
According to another development of the invention, the first guide unit and the second guide unit may each have a guide column for accommodating and guiding the base element.
This embodiment of the invention is particularly advantageous because of its stability and guidance precision and its cost-effective manufacturability.
According to the invention, for example, rolling bearings or slide bearings may cooperate with the guide columns, which may be manufactured from a suitable steel material, making a simple and precise guidance movement of the former arrangement module possible.
According to another development of the invention, at least a second former arrangement module may be provided, which is accommodated and guided on the guide columns of the other former arrangement module.
With this embodiment of the invention it is advantageously possible to longitudinally fold two printing substrate web ribbons, each of which may have one or more layers of printing substrate webs, over respectively one of the two former arrangement modules of the former arrangement, wherein the former arrangement modules may be moved or adjusted in accordance with the production conditions, such as the ribbon width for example.
Naturally, it is also possible according to the invention to integrate more than two former arrangement modules into the former arrangement.
In summary, the advantages of the inventive former arrangement are that, among other things, the following are guaranteed: an improved operability of the former during webbing up, a relatively simple adjustment of the former and the associated functional groups in the direction of the web, which is advantageous when changing the position of width-variable ribbons and a tape guide after the former, and the possibility of arranging two or even more formers at short distances in the direction of the web, wherein the formers with their associated functional groups are individually operable and adjustable in the direction of the web
The above-mentioned advantages are produced from a cantilevered suspension of the former and the associated functional groups on the base element, which is embodied, for example, as a side wall. The former arrangement module may be attached in a stationary manner or be adjusted as a unit via, for example, guide rails in the direction of the web.
In the following, the invention will be described in more detail on the basis of preferred embodiments and making reference to the enclosed figures.